Democrat Gene Stilp is a man with a mission. He became a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, he said, because he is committed to ending what he describes as the "strangehold" large corporations and their lobbyists have on Congress.
"Incumbents claim they want to change the way Washington operates, but then they take campaign donations from large corporations," explained Stilp, a citizen activist who became known to Pennsylvanians through his fight against the legislative pay raise and efforts to expose and correct corruption at the state capital. "Corporations, through these contributions, control what congressmen do."
Stilp said his Republican opponent, incumbent Congressman Lou Barletta, is part of the problem. "He has not been willing to take on the special interests and the army of 20,000 lobbyists," he remarked. "You have to reject corporate money. You have to draw the line."
Stilp said his concern is that lobbyists are succeeding in shifting the tax burden away from large corporations. "That is exactly why the middle class is in trouble."
It's a problem, he admits, that goes across party lines. "Both parties are to blame," he said.
Running against a well-financed opponent is difficult, Stilp noted, but he pointed out that he has battled the odds before, and won. "In the primary, I was outspent 6-to-1. This time, I think it's 20-to-1."
Center of district
One of Stilp's priorities, if elected, will be to maintain close contact with all geographical areas of the new 11th District, no small feat considering the sprawling district, following reapportionment, now runs from Wyoming County in the northeast part of the state to Cumberland County in the south central part, with Northumberland County at roughly the district's midpoint.
Stilp's plan to provide quality constituent services involves placement of district offices - both main offices and smaller satellite facilities - at convenient locations. He anticipates placement of a larger district office in Sunbury and a smaller satellite office in Shamokin. The costs involved in maintaining a network of offices, district-wide, would be greatly lessened, he said, by leasing space in existing government buildings,
"They chose to make the district this large geographically, so we will require the resources to serve people," Stilp said. Although accessibility to elected officials is easier in this era of electronic communication, he believes it is still important that constituents have the ability to interact, face-to-face, with the congressman and his designated representatives.
The looming cliff
Stilp said the federal deficit can be reduced only if Republicans and Democrats work together. That is easier said than done, he acknowledged, but he promises to forge relationships across party lines and take all proposals seriously.
"I want to cooperate with people on both sides of the aisle who want to make Congress more effective and work against corporations' ability to control Washington," he remarked.
After the election, the present Congress must deal with the so-called "fiscal cliff" that will result with the institution of mandatory spending cuts and the expiration of certain tax breaks. No matter what Congress decides, Stilp said, "The damage already has been done. The ability of businesses to plan has already suffered" because of Congress' inability to act.
To address the deficit, Stilp favors eliminating a $40 billion loophole that is now enjoyed, he said, by the oil and gas industry. A serious plan should be developed, he said, to identify and eliminate duplication of services in the federal bureaucracy.
"Congress must prioritize for the neediest in our country," Stilp remarked. "No cuts should be made that hurt the neediest in our society."
If Congress considers eliminating or amending the Affordable Care Act, Stilp would be among the representatives fighting hard to maintain coverage for pre-existing conditions and supporting provisions strengthening preventive and wellness care.
"It's time to take another look at health care costs for small businesses," Stilp remarked. "Small businesses are job creators. They should not be overburdened for health care costs when large corporations do not pay their fair share."
National defense
Stilp vowed to work, as the 11th District congressman, to safeguard the continued operation of defense-related or veterans-support facilities located within or close to the district, including Tobyhanna Army Depot, the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Wilkes-Barre, Indiantown National Gap, the New Cumberland Army Depot, Navy Supply Systems Command in Mechanicsburg, Army Heritage Center and Army War College in Carlisle and the Letterkenny Army Depot in Franklin County.
Stilp said he would work to keep all these facilities strong, and because of their importance to both the district economy and U.S. defense mission, he would lead the fight if the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) happened to make any proposals in the future to close any of them.
"These installations all have different missions," Stilp remarked. "I will work to find other similar missions for them so that employment in our district is protected." To that end, Stilp vowed to work with neighboring congressmen and the governor.
Stilp said the U.S. should rely on a "cyber offense" to deter Iran's efforts to acquire a nuclear weapon, but, if all else failed, he would support a military option. "There is no daylight between our efforts and Israeli efforts to make sure Iran does not have a nuclear capability," he said.
Stilp said Congress must do all in its power to ensure that the U.S. maintains a strong defense capability. "We can't afford any more wars, but we have to make sure our intelligence services have what they need in their missions of prevention and pre-emotion," he noted.